Mechanical stoker.



No. 69|,39|. Patented 1an. 2|, |902.V

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MECHANICAL STOKER.

(Application md Jan. 2e. 1901.) (No Model.) -4 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. sagas. Patented 1an. 2|, i902..

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MECHANICAL STOKER.

, (Application md Jan. 2e. 1901'.) (No Model.) 4 sheets-shea: 2.

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(No Model.)

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MECHANICAL STOKEB;

(Application ld Jan. 2B, 1901.)

Patented 1an.2l, |902..

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J. w. KINCAln.

MECHANICAL STGKER.

(Application illed Jan. 28, 1961.) y (No Model.) 4 Sheen-,Sheet 4,

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UNITED STATES PATENT iOiEincE.l

JOHN W. KINCAID, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,391, dated January 21, 1902. Application tiled January 28, 1901. Serial No. 44,974. l(No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beitknown that I, JOHN W. KINCAID, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, and a resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Stokers, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my inventionis a mechanical Stoker especially adapted for locomotive-engines, which throws the fuel upon top of the lire by the forward strokes of a plunger, in which these strokes are varied automatically in rapidity, so as to throw the fuel to all parts of the furnace, in which the relative speeds of the strokesmay be changed at will without stopping the machine, in which the backward or return stroke of the plunger is independent of the forward stroke, and in which the operative parts are simple and compact. This object is attained by the means described in the annexed specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a mechanical Stoker embodying my invention, the trough being shown in section. Fig. l' is a detail side elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of the rear end of the main-engine cylinder and the secondary engine, the lhopper being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the Stoker, part of the hopper being broken off to economize space. Fig.'3 is a detail sectional view of the end of the main cylinder and the piston, showing the ports for admittingsteam to and exhaustingit from the cylinder, so as to cushion the return stroke of the piston. Fig. 4 is a detail view, upon an enlarged scale, in rear end elevation, of the main-engine cylinder with the cylinder-head removed therefrom and in transverse section of the steam-chest of said main cylinder upon line y y of Fig. l'. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view of the steam-chest of the main engine, taken upon line @c a: of Fig. et, a part of the conveyer-shaft bearing the cams for operating the valves in the chest being shown in plan. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of the valves. Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the valve-seat of the steam-chest of the main engine. Fig. 8 is a detail end view of one of the cams for operating the valve in the steam-chest of the main engine, the dotted lines showing the relative position upon the shaft of the similar cams. Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the secondary engine, upon an enlarged scale, taken upon irregular line z z of Fig. l'. Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the valve of the steamchamber of the secondary engine. Fig. llis a perspective view of the valve which controls the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the secondary engine.

Referring to the parts, the fuel is kept in a hopper A, in the bottom of which are two spiral conveycrs a a to keep the fuel fed forward to the front of the hopper. Beneath the hopper is the cylinder B of the main engine.

Leading from the cylinder into the furnace above the gratebars is a trough b, Within which a plunger b' is reciprocated by piston b2 of the main engine, the plunger and the piston being directly connected by a rod b3. Attached to the forward end of trough b is a cone-shaped deflector d2 for spreading the coal. Attached'to the plunger is an apron b4, which reciprocates in a way between the hopper and the cylinder and allows the coal to drop from an openingin the bottom of the forward end of the hopperinto the trough in front of the plunger when it is retracted.

Spiral conveycrs a a are rotated by vertical piston-rod c of the secondary engine, whose piston c' is reciprocated in a vertical cylinder C by steam from the boiler admitted to steaml chamber c2 of secondary engine through pipe c3. Valve-seat of steam-chamber c2 has three ports c4, c5, and c6, c4 and c5 communicating through channels c7 and o8 with the opposite ends of horizontal valve-chamber o9, and c6 communicating through channel 01 (shown in dotted lines) with the general exhaustchannel b5, as shown in dotted line, Fig. l'.

The opening of the ports c4 and c5 alternately one to the live steam and the other to the exhaust is controlled by valve c, which is reciprocated vertically by vertical stem cl2, which extends upward and has two collars, which are alternately engaged by lugs cl3, projecting rearwardly from piston-rod c of the secondary engine. Valve c11 has two livesteam holes c14 and 015 and an S-shaped exhaust-cavity, which puts one of the ports c4 ILO ' the space between pistons cG and 017 is always in open communication with the live steam in chamber c2 through channel 0211. Thus the valve puts channels C21 and 022, one of which leads to the top and the other of which to the bottom of secondary cylinder C, alternately in communication with the live steam and with exhaust-channel Z25 through cavity. C22 in its face to reciprocate piston c.

Piston c' carries at its upperendia head 021, into which it the ends of links a2 a2, which at their other ends are journaled upon thev ends of conveyor-shafts a a and carry pawls a4 a5, (shown in dotted lilies, Fig. 2,) which engage ratchet-wh eels a a7, secured upon the ends of the conveyer-shafts, so that as the piston-rod c descends an intermittent rotation is imparted thereby to the conveyer-sl'iat'ts.

Head B ot' the mainr cylinder is formed integral with the walls of steam chambers c2 and o9 and the head of cylinder C, and the cores for piston-rod c, valve-stein 012, channels c7 and cs, and exhaust b5 are formed in the'intervening metal.

Steam-chest or valve-chamber B2 of the main engineis formed integral with main cylinder B. Valve-seat Z2( has four ports ZJT, Z22, Z2, and Z210 inlongitudinal alinement, and two ports Z211 and Z212 in transverse alineinent with Z210. Ports Z22, Z22, Z22, and Z210 each have a channel Z212 leading down into a common horizontal core Z214, which communicates by channel Z215 with the rear end of the main cylinder at a distance from the end equal to the thickness of piston Z22, so that when the piston is at the rear end ot' its stroke it covers the large port of channel Z215 into the cylinder. Channel Z215 has a reduced auxiliary channel Z21G running back to the rear end of the main cylinder, so that on the return stroke after eX- haust through the main channel has been cut oft' by piston Z22 the steam may exhaust less rapidly than theretofore through the reduced channel, and thereby form a cushion for th'e rear head of the cylinder. The size of auxiliary channel may be regulated from the exterior by means of a choke-plug Z210. Channels Z213 where they enter core Z211 each form a seat Z217 for horizontal choke-plugs Z218, which have a screw-threaded connection in the opposite Wallof the core and terminate upon the exterior thereof in keys Z219, Z220, Z221, and Z222, whereby by turning said keys in one direction or the other the size of each of the channels may be regulated for the admission of greater or less steam to the rear end of the cylinder to Vary the rapidity of the forward strokes of piston Z22.

Port Z212 is connected by channel D22 with the forward end of cylinder B, the channel forming a main and an auxiliary port leading into the cylinder to cushion the front head of the cylinder in a manner similar to the rear head, as aforedescribed. v

Port Z211 is put into communication with main exhaust-channel Z25 by channel Z224.

Ports Z27, t8, and Z2D are opened to and closed off from live steam which enters the top of valve-chamber through pipe Z225 by plain valves Z226, which are operated by horizontal valvestems Z227, while ports Z21o and Z212 are put alternately into communication with exhaust-port Z211 by valve Z223, which is operated by horizontal valve-stein Z221 and has an exhaust-cavity Z230 in its face for connecting ports Z21o and Z212 with exhaustZ211. Valve-stems Z22T and Z229 extend through the wall of one side of the valvechamber and are held by springs Z231 normally in contact with arms Z222, which are journaled upon a horizontal shaft Z233, which is supported between brackets Z221 upon the side of the valve-chamber. These arms Z232are each held in contact with cams Z225, Z236, Z237, and Z23S upon conveyer-shaft a. Cams Z225, Z22, and Z237 have each a single notch and ,are mounted upon the shaft so that these notches come at one hundred and twenty degrees apart, as shown in dotted line, Fig. 8, while cam Z228, which operates valve Z222, has three of these notches and is mounted on the shaft so that they come in the saine relative position upon the shaft as the three notches upon the other cams.

In operation, steam having been admitted to chambers B2 and c2, stem c is reciprocated vertically by secondary engine C, thereby rotating conveyer-shafts ct and a. Couveyershaft' ci operates valves Z22G and Z223 to reciprocate piston Z22 and plunger Z2'. The steam to the rear end of the cylinder is admitted first, say, through port Z27, then Z2S, and then Z22, and the amount may be made to be in an increasing ratio by setting ofthe choke-plugs Z21s so that the first forward stroke may be slow, the third very rapid, and the second intermediate. While steam is being admitted through either of ports Z2?, Z28, or Z29 to the rear end of cylinder the forward is exhausting through port Z212 and cavity Z230 in valve Z223, and while steam is being admitted through port Z212 and channel Z223 to the forward end of the cylinder the rear end is exhausting through port Z210. The lap of valve Z22s upon the side of port Z210 is made large, as shown in Fig. 4, so that live steam never enters through that port, but it acts simply as an exhaustport. ward end of the trough a swinging door D is opened in advance of it by an arm d and again falls to its normal position when the plunger is retracted to prevent cold air rushing into the furnace, an effect in which it is assisted by a hood d', extending over the top of the trough from the hopper to the furnace. Should the coal be thrown too much in one place, the relative speeds of the forward strokes could be changed by means of the choke-plugs without stopping the running of the machine. The speed of the return stroke IOC" IIL

As the plunger approaches the forof the plunger is entirely independentof the forward strokes and may itself betregulated by means of choke-plug 51S by turning key Z922 tovary size of the exhaust-channel.

lVhat I claim is* l. In a mechanical stoker, a plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace, an engine for reciprocating the plunger, means for automatically Varying the speeds of the forward strokes of the plunger, and means for regulating the speed of the forward strokes ofthe plunger independently of each other, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a mechanical stoker a plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace an engine for reciprocating the plunger, means for automatically varying the speeds of the forward strokes of the plunger, and means for regulating the speed of the forward strokes of the plunger independently of each other Wit-hout stopping the running of the machine.

3. In a mechanical stoker a plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace, a steam-engine for reciprocating the plunger, a valve-chamber, a series of ports in the chamber leading into a common channel from which steam is admitted to the engine for the forward stroke of the plunger, independent valves for each of said ports except one, a single port for admitting steam to the engine to retract the plunger, an exhaust-port, a valve for putting the said one of the series of ports and said single port alternately into communication with the exhaust and the single port into communication with the live steam to retract the plunger after each forward stroke, and means for actuating each of said Valves, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a mechanical stoker a plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace, a steam-engine for reciprocating the plunger, a Valve-chamber, a series of ports in the chamber, a common Y'channel from which steam is admitted to the engine for the forward stroke, channels leading from said ports into said common channel, choke-plugs seated in each of said channels for Varying their size, independent valvesfor each of said ports except one, a single port for admitting steam to the engine to retract the plunger, an exhaust-port, a Valve for putting the said one of the series of ports and said single port alternately in to communication with the exhaust and the single port into communication with the live steam to retract the plunger after each forward stroke, and means for actuating each of said valves, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a mechanical stoker a reciprocating plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace, a steam-cylinder, a thick piston reciprocating in the cylinder, means for connecting the plunger and the piston, a Valve-chamber, a main channel leading from the chamber into the cylinder at a distance from the end slightly less than the thickness of the piston, and a reduced channel running backward from the main channel into the end of the cylinder, whereby the return stroke of the piston is cushioned, substantially as shown and described.'

6. In a mechanical stoker a reciprocating plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace, a steam-cylinder, a thick piston reciprocating in the cylinder, means for connecting the plunger and the piston, a valve-chamber, a main channel leading from the chamber into the cylinder at a distance from the end slightly less than the thickness of the piston, a reduced channel running backward from the main channel into the end of the cylinder, and a choke-plug for regulating the size of the reduced channel whereby the return stroke of the piston is cushioned as much as may be desired, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a reciprocating plunger for throwing fuel into a furnace, a steam-engine for reciprocating the plunger, means for automatically varying the speeds of the forward strokes of the plunger, means for varying the ratio of the forward stroke and of the return stroke of the plunger independently of the forward stroke, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a mechanical stoker the combination of a reciprocating plunger for feeding fuel into a furnace, an engine for reciprocating the plunger, a rotating conveyer for feeding the fuel forward to fall in front of the retracted plunger, means for rotating the conveyer, a valve-chamber for the main engine, reciprocating valves in the chamber for admitting and exhausting steam to and from'y the main engine, and cams mounted upon the conVeyer-shaft for reciprocating the valves, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN W. KINCAID.

Witnesses:

W. F. MURRAY, EMMA LYFoRD; 

